The Modi government has been trying their best to make the country more Atmanirbhar or self-reliant. In a new move, the government has decided to launch the Indian alternative for Google Play Store and App Store. As per the reports, the BJP government may bring about changes in the Mobile Seva App Store for a more convenient service to the customers and break the chain.
Atmanirbhar App Store: Statement by the officials
This newly developed app will not charge an extra 30% gatekeeping fee like Apple and Google too. Providing the information, one of the government officials said, “Google’s Android has a 97% market share in India, and we need to intervene to support Indian startups and entrepreneurs. This app store will not charge 30% gatekeeping fee like Google and Apple.”
The government is further planning to make this Atmanirbhar app store to be compulsorily installed for all the Android users in India. As per the sources, C-DAC will be in charge of building the app, while NPCI will work towards bringing a more secure payment schedule or gateway into the app.
The government is planning to change the functioning and model of Mobile Seva App Store that has been launched by the government. The Indian government further plans to ask Apple and Google to pre-install the Indian App Store in all the Android and iOS devices sold in India. The Mobile Seva App store has all the government apps, but there’s only Paytm as a recent addition and not others.
Paytm was recently taken down from Google platform claiming that it had violated the anti-gambling policy. Later on Google took to updating the Play Store Billing system to ensure covering of virtual goods as well as services from dating to education. This is basically done to attract the attention of startups.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Google Play Billing System
What is the Google Play Billing system?
Most Android users, who need an access to any virtual service or virtual goods will need to pay for the service using the Google Pay billing system. This is inclusive of in-app purchases. Most apps will allow you to directly pay to the app, but there is always an option to pay through the Android device using the Google Pay Billing system.
But why pay through the Google Pay billing system? As Google will charge a 30% service fee for the service, which can later on increase.
What are the modes of payment?
The first accepted mode of payment is Google Pay. But there are other options of payment as 2ell such as net banking, credit and debit cards, points and codes. However, the third-party wallets such as MobiKwik, PhonePe aren’t included in the payment option. The exclusion of eWallets can however hamper the business. Whether or not these third-party eWallets will be included in the system is yet to be seen.
What is covered under Google Play Billing?
- Cloud services.
- Add-on items, extra lives for games, virtual currencies, additional playtime.
- Content subscription services from fitness to gaming, dating, music, video and all other in-app purchases.
What is excluded under Google Play Billing?
- Non-digital goods like makeup, electronics, clothing and more.
- Non-digital services such as cleaning services, tickets, gym services.
- Remittances through the credit card bill payments or utility bill payments.
Why are startups and founders complaining?
The gateway fee of Google is the main reasons why founders and startups are complaining of the policy. To clarify the statement, Google released a Blog post in which it stated, “To be clear, this policy is only applicable to less than 3% of developers with apps on Google Play. We only collect a service fee if the developer charges users to download their app or they sell-in app digital items, and we think that is fair.”
Clarifying the need of Indian appstore in the market, Google said that the devices can have two pre-installed app stores and the consumers can download the additional app stores as well. “This onenness means that even if a developer and Google do not agree on business terms the developer can still distribute on the Android.”